When you’re making a decision about the type of internet for your home, an option to consider is satellite. While it might be an inexpensive connection, there are some negative aspects about it to think about. Satellite internet typically consists of a dish that’s placed outside your home, one that’s located at the hub of the provider, and one that’s in space that sends the signal.
Coverage
Since a satellite is used to provide an internet connection, you’re going to have coverage across the globe instead of just in one area where cable lines are run. One satellite in space can usually cover areas that are as large as an ocean or even an entire continent depending on the size of the satellite. This is beneficial as obstacles sometimes aren’t a factor in obtaining a signal whereas cable connections are sometimes only available where lines can be easily run to communities.
Speed
A benefit of satellite internet is the speed that’s offered. It’s not going to be as fast as cable or fiber-optic internet, but it will be faster than a dial-up connection. If you know that you won’t need to use the internet that much in your home or business, then this might be suitable as you’re usually going to save money with this option.
Installation
It only takes a few hours to set the satellite dish up at your home and to connect the devices that are needed so that you can start searching the internet. If you want to use a satellite for traveling so that you have an internet connection while on the road, then you can usually set everything up and establish a connection in less than an hour.
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Reliable Connection
Sometimes, internet providers like Spectrum, Verizon, or any provider may encounter internet outages due to weather. When there’s an issue with cable connections, then you’re not going to have internet service. While outages can still occur and are often over larger areas, they usually don’t last as long and usually don’t occur as frequently. A satellite internet connection doesn’t rely on infrastructure as much as cable connections do in order to deliver internet to your home, which means that there’s less in the way of obstruction for causing an outage. A con to the connection with satellites is that stormy weather can often impact the connection.
Timing
One of the negative aspects of satellite internet is latency. This is how long it takes an internet signal to get from the source to your computer or another device that you’re using to access the internet. Data is sent back and forth to space instead of a cable, which takes more time, slowing down your connection. This can be a downfall for downloading and uploading videos and large files and playing games.
Caps
There are usually data caps associated with satellite internet. The cap is the amount of information that you’re allowed to have throughout a month. You can usually contact your provider to add more data, but you’ll usually have to pay for the extra amount that you get. Some providers begin their caps at 10GB a month or a cycle while many average about 25GB. If you know that you’re going to be online quite a bit or there are multiple people who will use the internet in your home, then you might want to consider looking for a different option.